Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-16
CHINA.
An Interview With Bish-
Op Raimondi.
CHRISTIANITY AND COMMERCE.
COOlie Laborers Working for S.
Per MOnth-Opium Smoking
and It's Adherents.

HERALD reporter called there yester
day afternoon for the purpose of oh
tanning an interview with the disting
uished visitor ald after few moment
waiting in an ante-room a knock a
the door was heard and clad in tn,
habiliments of his order the Bishol
entered. The reporter saw before hin
a grave, dignifed looking personagt
of about so years of age and with q
complexion tanned to an olive brown
by the fierce suns of the sultry cline
from whence he hailed. The rever
end gentleman kindly consented tt
supply the reporter with any desired
information that might be in his
power to furnish, and the following
conference then took place:
"Have you been long in America ?'
"No, / arrived at San Francisco on
the. I'd instant, and after tarrying
there few days proceeded at once
south. From here l GO to Mexico via
FL Paso and will then visit the prin-
cipal cities on the eastern side of the
continent. The object of my trip is
doublefold; firstly to preach Chris
tian mission, and, secondly, to collect
funds to enable us to finish our cathe-
dral at Hong Kong"
"What sort of a building are you
erecting there? ?''
"It is mammoth structure, 260
feet long with main aisls of 60 feet
and transepts of 100. 1t is composed
of granite and brick and when we
have put the finishing touches to it, it
will have cost from first to last, without
the ground, about 100000. But
to erect a similar building in America
would cost quite $500, 900, as there is
such vast difference in the remuner-
alton paid for labor"
"What wages do you pay the vari-
GUS craftsmen employed on the build
ing?"
"The best carpenters and stone-cut-
ters get SIS month and ordinary
mechanics from So to $40, while the
hod carrier or pure laborer only re-
ceives 81 or So per MONTH"
"They are boarded by you, 1 sup
pose?"
ooh, no, they have to pay all their
own expenses, but then it costs them
very little to live, probably not more
than 81 or So a month. The coolies,
as we call them, are a remarkable
race of people, rice and tea is all they
want and if they get little money
they squander it in one of the many
gambling-houses which abound"
"Hong Kong is a very lively place
is it not?'
"It is the commercial centre of
China and the headquarters for all
the important mercantile agencies.
Eleven steamers from Europe and
America arrive every month and be-
sides there are number of lines plying
up and down to the coast and to the
Philippine Islands, Calcutta, Singa-
pore, Australia, and other places.
There is an America colony on the
island numbering between 100 and
200 souls all engaged in commercial
pursuits. The Pacific Mail Steamship
Company has an agency there en-
ploying many men, and then there is
Russell's and several other large
firms"
Europeans and Americans monopo-
lize most of the trade, l suppose?
eyes; all the foreign trade, but the
local business and traffic is in the
hands of the natives. The reason OF
this is because the foreigners always
want large profit, whereas the native
merchants having very few expenses
to contend with are satisfied with
smaller returns. One can get goods
about so per cent. cheaper in a native
than in an European establishment.
"What sort of life do the Americans
lead there?:.
"Oh rather an indolent one, but
then the weather is so enervating
that otherwise cannot be expected.
Our winter is about the same as
the weather you are now
enjoying and extends over a period
lasting from November to February.
But in the summer it is terribly hot
and in addition to this unpleasantness
it is very unhealthy. The nights are
very damp, in fact if one leaves a
book on the table and the door open
in the morning it will be found COW
cred with q white mould. Outside
everything has the appearance OF hav-
ing been rained upon"
"What is the effect on the foreign
residents?"
"Well, few can stand it for more
than twenty years without breaking
down, in fact ladies can seldom
weather more than ten years. Those
whose business absolutely compels
them to reside on the island
are compelled to visit some sani-
tarium occasionally and by this
means they are enabled to bear up
tolerably we'll In the rainy season it
is almost like one continual cloud
burst and the creeks and low-lying dis
tricts are transformed into raging
floods which carry everything before
them."
elbow do the natives manage in
those times?" ;,
"They seem to get along very we'll.
Sometimes they are almest living In
the water, but it does not appear to
affect them very much. OF course
they are not very strong. but that IS
accounted for by the insufficient nour-
ishment they receive"
"Most of them are opium smokers,
are they not?" ~
"rhat is very erratic idea that all
you Americans have. l don't believe
that ten per cent. Of the population is
addicted to the use of the drug. GAS
compared to the use OF liquor-drink-
ing here of course the results are
worse as the moderate use OF malt ana
spirituous liquors is certainly not pro-
ductive Of harm, whereas from opium,
except when used under medical di-
rection, no benefit can be derived }
"In the first place." continued the
bishop, "they cannot afford to use
it as the opium which is imported
from India is very expensive and al
most beyond the reach of the coolie
inhabitant. Poppy is being sown ex'
tensively now in the inland dis
tricts, but owing to climatic and Other
reasons, the opium produced is not
,aorlv an GOOD as that grown in Brit